阅读说明：本技术 具有发光瞄准器和热成像摄像机的瞄准镜 (Sighting telescope with luminous sighting device and thermal imaging camera ) 是由 J-L·埃斯皮耶 B·库梅尔 于 2018-07-03 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明的一般领域是瞄准镜或观察镜，其包括：在单个机械结构(80)中，摄像机(10)和与目镜(60)联用的视频微型显示器(50)。根据本发明的瞄准镜的目镜包括光组合器(70)，该光组合器(70)布置为将视频微型显示器的图像叠加在外部景观上。在一个变体中，瞄准镜包括发光符号或发光点(95)和光学装置(90)，该光学装置(90)布置为将所述发光符号或发光点叠加在所述视频微型显示器的图像上和外部景观上。由摄像机、微型显示器和目镜组成的光学链具有一的放大倍数，微型显示器的图像与外部景观的图像一致。(The general field of the invention is sighting or viewing scopes, comprising: in a single mechanical structure (80), a camera (10) and a video microdisplay (50) in conjunction with an eyepiece (60). The eyepiece of the sighting telescope according to the invention comprises a light combiner (70), which light combiner (70) is arranged to superimpose the image of the video microdisplay on the external landscape. In one variant, the sighting telescope comprises a luminous symbol or luminous point (95) and an optical device (90), the optical device (90) being arranged to superimpose the luminous symbol or luminous point on the image of the video microdisplay and on the external landscape. The optical train consisting of the camera, the microdisplay and the eyepiece has a magnification of one, the image of the microdisplay being identical to the image of the external landscape.)

1. A sighting telescope or viewing scope comprising: -in a single mechanical structure (80), a video camera (10) and a video microdisplay (50) associated with an eyepiece (60), characterized in that the eyepiece comprises, in order: at least one set of lenses, mirrors and a light combiner (70), the light combiner (70) being arranged to superimpose an image of the video microdisplay on the external landscape.

2. Sighting telescope or observation scope according to claim 1, characterised in that it comprises luminous symbols or luminous points (95) and optical means (90), said optical means (90) being arranged to superimpose an image of said luminous symbols or luminous points on the image of the video microdisplay and on the external landscape.

3. Telescope or sight glass according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the optical chain consisting of camera, micro-display and eyepiece has a magnification of one, the image of the micro-display coinciding with the image of the external scenery.

4. Sighting telescope or observation mirror according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the light combiner comprises a flat transflective surface (711, 721) which is inclined at about 45 degrees with respect to the sighting or observation axis.

5. Telescope or sight glass according to claim 4, characterised in that the semi-transparent and semi-reflective surface is included in a plate beam splitter (73) comprising two parallel planes.

6. Telescope or sight glass according to claim 4, characterised in that the semi-transparent and semi-reflective surface is included in a cube beam splitter (71, 72) comprising two parallel planes.

7. A telescope or sight as claimed in claim 6, characterised in that the cube beam splitter comprises a concave mirror (722), the optical axis of the concave mirror (722) being at right angles to the telescope or viewing axis, and that light rays from the video microdisplay are transmitted through the transflector, reflected by the concave mirror and then reflected by the transflector.

8. The telescope or sight glass of claim 7, wherein the cube beam splitter comprises a convex entrance surface (723), the optical axis of the convex entrance surface (723) being at right angles to the sighting or viewing axis, and the convex entrance surface (723) being opposite the concave mirror.

9. The telescope or sight glass of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the light combiner comprises a semi-transparent and semi-reflective concave surface (73) of the "free-form" or diffractive type, inclined with respect to the aiming or viewing axis, and the eyepiece comprises a convex mirror (632) for use with the semi-transparent and semi-reflective concave surface.

10. The telescope or sight glass according to one of claims 2 to 9, characterised in that the optical means comprise a plate or cube beam splitter (90) arranged in front of the video microdisplay, so that the image of the luminous symbol or luminous point is merged with the video microdisplay by reflection or transmission of the plate or cube beam splitter.

11. Telescope or sight glass according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the camera is a thermal infrared camera.

12. Sighting telescope or sight glass according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterised in that the camera is a low-light camera.

Technical Field

Background

In order to perform his or her various tasks using his or her weapon, the infantry requires the following conditions:

day and night shooting capability, which requires accurate aiming to be able to fully utilize his or her weapon, ideally with effective shooting distances exceeding 300 meters;

-fast aiming in dynamic combat situations;

good situational awareness can be maintained both during the day and at night to cope with any threat that may occur on the battlefield. This situational awareness capability is particularly desirable to maintain a wide field of view encompassing the surrounding space;

-the ability to "disguise" or perceive threats both during the day and at night;

-invisibility, in particular reflected at night by a non-luminous aiming member;

no axis alignment setting operations are required to switch from daytime aiming to nighttime aiming (and vice versa), thus saving time and ensuring the reliability of aiming;

mobility and durability, which requires the device to be as light and compact as possible.

These requirements are reflected by the strong demand for aiming members with which the assault rifle provided by the infantry is equipped. In practice, these requirements are only partially met and cannot be met at all with a compact and lightweight piece of equipment.

Conventional solutions for ensuring aiming of assault rifles are as follows. For daytime aiming, the weapon generally includes an eyepiece, i.e., a front sight assembly. The assembly is simple, robust and inexpensive, but not precise.

For daytime aiming, the weapon may further comprise:

a luminous sight, i.e. an optical component, which is able to superimpose an external luminous symbol or luminous point on the aiming axis. The luminescent sight can be used with variable magnification optics. For example, the magnification is 3;

-a laser pointer;

-a daytime magnifier;

for night aiming, the weapon may include:

-a laser pointer;

-a sighting telescope with a light-enhancing sighting telescope called "IL" mirror;

-an infrared sighting telescope, called "IR" sighting telescope;

-a light-enhancing or infrared adapter or "clip on" adapter positioned upstream of the day scope;

-a sighting device comprising night vision goggles for use with a luminous sight fixed to a weapon.

These known solutions have both advantages and disadvantages, but none of them completely solves all the needs identified above.

The solution of the luminous sight is particularly considerable, since it provides a good accuracy, while maintaining a good perception of the overall situation, since it allows aiming and shooting when both eyes are open, and allows the eyes to be positioned relatively far from the luminous sight, which does not have to be close to the eyepiece. The shooter can keep both eyes open and the light-emitting sight transmits the sight without magnification.

The widespread use of sighting by means of a laser pointer is very advantageous especially at night, since it allows rapid shooting in dynamic combat without aligning the eyes behind the sighting device and even in extreme cases without carrying the weapon on shoulder. On the other hand, laser pointers cannot remain hidden, especially at night. Even indicators that emit near infrared light can be easily detected using night vision goggles or some devices that use cameras sensitive to near infrared light.

In general, a scope with thermo-optic enhancement or thermo-infrared (whether it be a day scope or a night scope) has the advantage of accuracy due in particular to its magnification. They have the following disadvantages: requiring the eye for aiming to be located close to the eyepiece; furthermore, the user cannot make an overview with the other eye. This operation requires a certain amount of time, which results in a loss of efficiency in dynamic combat. Furthermore, the shooter may be temporarily isolated from his or her environment and may then be unaware of the new threat. Finally, at night, if night vision goggles are provided, the fighter must remove those night vision goggles in order to be able to position the unconstrained eye correctly behind the sighting telescope. Again, this represents additional delay in action and disruption to the fighter's environment.

Infrared or thermographic scopes suffer from the same disadvantages, but have some significant advantages: night vision capabilities (including night vision capabilities in complete darkness), enhanced vision in fog and smoke in the battlefield, and most importantly the ability to "disguise" any hot objects.

In an attempt to provide an appropriate response, multiple systems may be collocated in a single device. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, some aiming devices incorporate an IL or IR scope having a light-emitting sight disposed on top. In this case, the scope includes a thermal imaging camera and a viewing device. The thermal imaging camera comprises a focusing lens 1 and a photosensitive receiver 2. The viewing apparatus comprises a microdisplay 3 and an eyepiece 4. The luminous sight comprises a luminous symbol 5, an optical element 6 for collimation and an optical element 7 for superposition with direct vision.

These solutions result in relatively bulky devices that provide side-by-side functionality but do not combine them together. At a given time, the user must choose to use a lighted sight or scope, and therefore, the user never benefits from the added advantages of both systems. In a system incorporating a thermal infrared sight and a light-emitting sight, the user must choose whether to benefit from the fast aiming and situational awareness capabilities provided by the light-emitting sight or the disguise and night vision capabilities provided by the thermal infrared sight.

In summary, the existing solutions based on a single principle of the luminous sight, indicator or scope type do not satisfy all the requirements of the infantry to shoot in any case. Solutions that juxtapose the two principles in the same device, such as luminous sights and thermal imaging sights, can combine some of the advantages without simultaneously benefiting from them. In addition, these systems are bulky and heavy. They do not meet all of the above requirements.

Disclosure of Invention

The sighting telescope according to the invention does not have the disadvantages described above. Indeed, several images of different sources can be perceived through a single light-emitting sight-type eyepiece. Thus, several requirements of this type of device are guaranteed while maintaining a reduced volume. More specifically, the subject of the invention is a sighting telescope or sight comprising: in a single mechanical configuration, a camera and a video microdisplay in combination with an eyepiece, characterized in that the eyepiece utilizes a light combiner arranged to superimpose an image of the video microdisplay on an external landscape.

Advantageously, the sighting telescope comprises luminous symbols or luminous points and optical means arranged to superimpose an image of said luminous symbols or luminous points on the image of said video microdisplay and on the external landscape.

Advantageously, the optical train consisting of the camera, the microdisplay and the eyepiece has a magnification of one, the image of the microdisplay coinciding with the image of the external landscape.

Advantageously, the light combiner comprises a flat semi-reflective surface inclined at about 45 degrees to the aiming or viewing axis.

Advantageously, the transflective surface is comprised in a plate beam splitter comprising two parallel planes.

Advantageously, the semitransparent and semi-reflecting plate is comprised in a cubic beam splitter comprising two parallel planes. The normal to the face may be parallel to the sighting or viewing axis.

Advantageously, the prismatic beamsplitter comprises a concave mirror having an optical axis at right angles to the aiming or viewing axis, the light rays from the video microdisplay being transmitted by the transflector, reflected by the concave mirror and then reflected by the transflector.

Advantageously, the prismatic beamsplitter includes a convex entrance face having an optical axis at right angles to the collimation or viewing axis and opposite the concave mirror.

Advantageously, the optical combiner comprises a concave semi-reflective surface of the "free-form" or diffractive type inclined with respect to the aiming or viewing axis, and the eyepiece comprises a convex mirror for use with the semi-reflective concave surface.

Advantageously, the optical means comprise a plate or cube beam splitter arranged in front of the video microdisplay such that the image of the luminous symbol or luminous point is merged with the video microdisplay by reflection or transmission of the plate or cube beam splitter.

Advantageously, the camera is a thermal infrared camera or a low light camera.

Drawings

The invention will be better understood and other advantages will become apparent from a reading of the following description, given in a non-limiting manner, and the accompanying drawings, in which:

fig. 1 (which has already been explained) shows a scope-luminous sight combination according to the prior art;

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a scope or sight according to the present invention;

fig. 3 shows a production solution for a sighting telescope or sight glass according to the invention;

figure 4 shows a first embodiment of an eyepiece according to the invention;

FIG. 5 shows a second embodiment of an eyepiece according to the invention;

FIG. 6 shows a third embodiment of an eyepiece according to the invention;

FIG. 7 shows a variant embodiment of a telescope or sight according to the invention, which includes collimated light point generation;

figure 8 shows a fourth embodiment of an eyepiece according to the invention.

Detailed Description

Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of a sighting telescope or sight glass according to the invention. The sighting telescope or sight basically comprises two main subassemblies, the subassemblies being a camera 10 and a viewing device 15, which viewing device 15 comprises a microdisplay and an eyepiece with a light combiner. The optical combiner is mounted on top of the camera. The assembly of optical and electronic components is contained in a sealing structure 80, which sealing structure 80 protects them from the external environment and impacts.

The structure comprises a mechanical fixing interface 85, the mechanical fixing interface 85 being able to fix the structure to a weapon equipped with a standard interface. For example, the interface is a "Picatinny" rail or its equivalent.

The structure also comprises a set of buttons and control members 87, in particular the set of buttons and control members 87 allow on/off control of the different functions of the device, brightness setting of the video microdisplay, electronic and mechanical axis alignment setting, electronic setting for superposition of different images generated according to the external landscape. The set of buttons and control member 87 may be disposed on one of the two sides of the scope. As an example, in fig. 2, the set comprises three buttons, the three buttons being arranged on the left side of the scope, the other buttons being arranged on the left side of the scope.

Fig. 3 shows a first embodiment of a sighting telescope or sight glass according to the invention. The following convention is taken for this and subsequent figures. Optical or mechanical elements are represented by thick lines, light rays by thin lines, and optical axes by broken lines. For the sake of clarity, only the rays on the light-exit axis are shown.

Preferably, the camera is a thermographic camera comprising an infrared lens 20 and an infrared sensor 25, the operating wavelength of the infrared lens 20 being in a spectral band between 8 μm and 12 μm, the infrared sensor 25 having a microbolometer sensitive to the same spectral band.

The camera may also be a low-light camera, implemented by a low-noise "CMOS" sensor ("CMOS" is an abbreviation for "complementary metal oxide semiconductor") or "EB-CMOS" sensor ("EB-CMOS" is an abbreviation for "electron-Bombarded CMOS"). The camera may also be a "SWIR" camera ("SWIR" is an abbreviation for "Short Wave InfraRed") operating at a wavelength in the spectral band of 1 μm to 2 μm, sensing nighttime light from night-time illumination, and having the ability to unmask.

The camera comprises a power supply, sensor drive, image processing electronics 30 and a power supply unit 40 housing several battery units or a rechargeable battery to ensure autonomy of the camera, which can be arranged behind the telescope, on the side of the observer's eyes.

The viewing device includes a microdisplay 50, an eyepiece 60 with a light combiner 70, and the electronics necessary to power and drive the microdisplay.

The microdisplay 50 displays a video line of sight, which may have a rear aiming correction element or an optical ranging symbol or scale. It also displays a thermal infrared image of the scene from the thermal imaging camera.

The microdisplays may be, for example, "OLED" displays ("OLED" is an abbreviation for "organic light emitting diode"), "LCD" ("LCD" is an abbreviation for "liquid crystal display"), or "LCOS" displays ("LCOS" is an abbreviation for "liquid crystal on silicon").

The optical train consisting of the camera, the microdisplay and the eyepiece has a magnification of one, the image of the microdisplay being identical to the image of the external landscape. The light combiner ensures that the image of the microdisplay is perfectly on the outside landscape.

Eyepieces with optical combiners have different realizable implementations.

In the first embodiment shown in fig. 4, 5 and 8, which represent different combinations of optical eyepieces, the light combiner comprises a flat transflective surface inclined at 45 degrees with respect to the sighting or viewing axis. The surface has no optical power.

As shown in fig. 8, the surface may be of a semi-transparent and semi-reflective plate having parallel planes and a small thickness.

As shown in fig. 4 and 5, the plate may advantageously be incorporated in a cube beam splitter comprising two parallel planes, in order not to introduce distortions to the external landscape. The normals of these faces may be parallel to the sighting or viewing axis.

Fig. 4 shows a first eyepiece 61 comprising focusing optics and a light combiner 71 with a cubic beam splitter. The focusing optics form the image from the micro-display 50 at infinity and is superimposed onto the external landscape by the optical combiner 71. The light combiner 71 comprises an inclined flat transflective plate 711 and two parallel planes 712 and 713. As in this example, the focusing optics of fig. 4 include three lenses 610, 611, and 612 and a planar mirror 613 located between the second and third lenses. The mirror 613 can reduce the volume of the focusing optics. In a variant embodiment, the mirror may be replaced by a total reflection prism. In this configuration shown in fig. 4, the light combiner 71 reflects the image from the display directly to the viewer's eye Y.

Fig. 5 shows a second eyepiece 62 that includes focusing optics and a light combiner 72 with a cube beam splitter. In this configuration, the light combiner has an optical power in the optical path of the microdisplay. The optical combiner has no optical power in the directly transmitted optical path. Thus, the number and size of lenses required for collimation is reduced. The eyepiece is more simplified and less bulky.

The cube beam splitter 72 further comprises a concave mirror 722, the optical axis of which is at right angles to the sighting axis. Collimation of the light rays from the microdisplay 50 is ensured by a set of three lenses 620, 621, and 622 and by the light combiner 72. Light from the video microdisplay 50 passes through the lens group, is transmitted by the transflective plate 721, is reflected by the concave mirror 722, and is reflected a second time by the transflective plate 721 towards the viewer's eye.

As in the previous combination, in this optical combination, the plane mirror 623 can reduce the optical volume of the eyepiece. In a variant embodiment, the cube beamsplitter includes a convex entrance surface 723 having an optical axis at right angles to the collimation or viewing axis, and the convex entrance surface 723 is opposite the concave mirror 722. The function of the convex incident surface 723 is to avoid total reflection seen by the eye, originating from the landscape, and reflected by total reflection of that surface of the prism. The convex surface can unfocus these parasitic images and push them back into the area invisible to the eye in the aiming position.

In a second embodiment, shown in fig. 6, the optical combiner 73 comprises a semi-transparent semi-reflecting concave surface of the "free-form" or diffractive type, inclined with respect to the aiming or viewing axis. A surface of "free form" is understood to mean a surface which does not have rotational symmetry. It may be defined in different ways.

In this configuration, the transflective surface is inclined at a large angle with respect to the optical axis, which may be about 40 degrees. In this case, as shown in fig. 5, the eyepiece 63 includes a convex mirror 632, and the convex mirror 632 is also inclined with respect to the optical axis associated with the half-mirror concave surface 73. The mirror may also be a "free-form" or diffractive surface. Finally, the eyepiece 63 includes a set of two lenses 630 and 631 forming a pair, a convex mirror 632 and a half-mirror concave surface 73. If the set of lenses has a longer focal length, a beam folding device, which may be mirror-based or prism-based, may be inserted between the display 50 and the set of lenses, thereby reducing the volume of the eyepiece.

In an important variant embodiment of the sighting telescope and of the observation telescope according to the invention, the sighting telescope comprises a luminous symbol or luminous point and an optical arrangement arranged to superimpose an image of the luminous symbol or luminous point on the image of the video microdisplay and on the external landscape. The optical device further comprises a plate beam splitter or a cube beam splitter arranged in front of the video microdisplay such that an image of the luminescent symbol or luminescent point is combined with the video microdisplay by reflection or transmission of the plate beam splitter or by the cube beam splitter.

In a basic version of the optical device, the light emission points are produced by light emitting diodes placed in front of the light delivery aperture, the latter being located in the focal plane of the eyepiece so as to be superimposed on the image of the microdisplay. The luminous point is usually red. The light emitting point is fixed to a translational adjustment mechanism in the focal plane to allow a user to make an axis alignment adjustment of the aiming axis achieved by the light emitting point relative to the aiming axis of the weapon. The reticle and the red dot of the display constitute two alternative solutions for displaying the aiming axis of the weapon, the red dot being a simple solution with very low power consumption. The video reticle may generate a variety of patterns and complex shapes including, for example, optical ranging symbols that ensure approximate ranging of a person or vehicle.

The "red" dots thus constitute an optional complement to the video microdisplay. It also allows a low power consumption degradation mode when the microdisplay and thermal imaging are not active, for example, to save power to the scope.

Fig. 7 shows a first example of the implementation of this variant embodiment. Between the microdisplay 50 and the first lens of the eyepiece a cube beam splitter 90 is arranged comprising a flat half-mirror plate 91. The latter has the configuration of eyepiece 60 of fig. 3. The red dot 95 is arranged such that its image is merged with the image of the microdisplay by reflection by the transflector 91.

Fig. 8 shows a second exemplary embodiment. In this example, the eyepiece 64 includes optics 640 arranged between the microdisplay 50 and the cube beam splitter 900. The same optical element 640bis is also arranged between the red dot 95 and the cube beam splitter 900. The cube beam splitter is an assembly of two prisms 901 and 902, the common face 910 of which includes a transflective treatment. In the case of fig. 7, the prism 902 works by total reflection. Therefore, the eyepiece portion includes, in order: optics 640 and 640bis, prism beam splitter 900, total reflection prism 641 to ensure beam folding, half mirror 73 and double cemented lens 642.

It should be noted that the eyepiece is easily adapted to the free-form plate of fig. 6 to introduce the resulting red dots. For this purpose it is sufficient to arrange a cube beam splitter or any other prism assembly between the microdisplay and the lens.

A scope according to the invention may comprise a supplementary modular optical system capable of changing the perception of the external landscape. Thus, an enlarged afocal optic, for example, with a magnification of 3, may be arranged downstream of the optical combiner. Also, an optical module may be arranged upstream of the optical combiner, which optical module is invariant with respect to magnification and light enhancement axis deflection. Thus, the user perceives the enhanced image and the thermal image of the external landscape.

A first advantage of the scope according to the invention is that: for daytime aiming, the ability to disguise is added to the lighted sight while maintaining the ergonomic qualities of lighted sights that provide a larger range of aiming (tirage) of the eyes, do not obstruct the surrounding field of view, and can engage with the target while keeping both eyes open. On the one hand, in the window of the sight, the user can see a cursor line superimposed on a direct image of the scene, which implements the firing axis of his or her weapon, and on the other hand, the user can see a video image of the thermal targets present in the scene and which may constitute a threat. The background of the scene is removed by conventional algorithms used in thermal imaging, particularly IL/IR fusion systems, to ensure that only thermal targets of human body temperature are displayed. These algorithms are known to those skilled in the art. Thus, when a fighter is aiming at a target, the fighter will benefit from the visual fusion between the direct vision of the scene and the thermal infrared vision of the target, on which a cursor line showing the firing axis of the weapon will appear.

The second advantage of the sighting telescope is that: allowing infrared aiming at night in the manner that can be achieved with conventional thermographic scopes, but employing the ergonomics of the luminescent sights as follows: magnification of 1, large aiming range (range) of eyes, and open eyes for aiming.

The third advantage is that: allowing a fighter to view at night with a lighted sight by enhancing night vision goggles, which are secured to his or her head or headgear, with light that can be provided to him or her to remain in front of his or her eyes. Thus, fighters benefit from the perception of a night scene in a wide field of view (i.e., the field of view of night vision goggles). The field of view is typically 40. Furthermore, fighter personnel benefit from infrared vision of the scene in the vicinity of the reticle, which defines its aiming axis. He or she then benefits from the situational awareness of night vision goggles that provide a wide field of view that he or she can use with both eyes open, and from disguising the image of the target with thermal infrared.

Thus, a fighter may have a two-image fusion system at his or her disposal: direct vision and thermal infrared vision during the day, light enhancement and infrared vision at night. The system is effective without adding special night vision goggles and only using the night vision goggles available by armed forces. This dual benefit is obtained in a single, light, compact module, which is also advantageous: the ergonomic light-emitting sight type is also capable of quick aiming, eyes open, both during the day and at night, while at each moment the environment is well perceived, which is advantageous for the responsiveness in dynamic combat situations and may be advantageous in case of a decision.